Fill The Distance
by PhoebeSnow
Summary: Natasha is at home while Steve is on a mission thousands of miles away. So she makes a late night phone call...


"Hello?"

"Hey, soldier."

"Nat?"

"Yes, it's me."

"...do you even know what time it is?"

"That's a ridiculous question, Steven. Of course I do."

"But why are you calling?" He sounded a little confused.

"Because I miss you."

"Oh. Oh,_ Nat._ I'm sorry. I forgot to check in with you."

"It's okay. I'll just have to give you five penalty points."

"Penalty points?"

"Yeah, you know. When you play a game and you break one of the rules, they give you a penalty."

"And you're giving me a penalty for not calling?"

"That's right."

He chuckled. "Sounds like a first grade threat, Nat."

"Well, now it's ten penalty points."

"Whatever you say."

She swore she could hear him rolling his eyes through the phone.

"Couldn't you have at least let me fly you to Lithuania? I'd have just stayed in the quinjet until you were ready."

"Come on, that would never happen. You'd stay put for two minutes before running after me."

"I'll have you know that some people break their habits."

"That's true, but you're a wild card."

"I really wouldn't have gone after you. Maybe think about it and gripe to you on the comms, but that's it. I swear."

"The last thing I'd let you do is help me track down a HYDRA cell while your leg is still healing from our last mission. You could have died from an infection."

"I've fought in worse conditions before."

"Yeah, but that was before I was your partner."

"So?"

"I have to look out for you, Nat."

"But who's going to look out for you?"

"Wanda and Sam had my back. There were no problems on the mission."

"I understand that and I'm pleased to hear it, but you don't get it, Steve. I'm your wife and your better half." Both of them chuckled there. "It's just as much my job to take care of you as it is for you to take care of me. I felt so helpless here by myself and I know I sound like a nag, but I..."

Her voice cracked and Steve frowned.

"What is it, babe?"

A sniffle followed by a heavy sigh came through the phone. "I don't want to lose you."

There was a shuffling noise on his end. "You're not going to lose me."

"That's just it. Nobody knows what could happen. We prepare for things and plan for different outcomes, but life is unpredictable."

"Life **has** hit all of us pretty hard, but it hasn't taken us out yet."

"I know, I know, but...I just hate not being there with you."

"You're with me in spirit, Nat."

"You know I mean. I miss having your back, looking out for you. Sam and Wanda are your teammates and they do a good job, but I still wish it were me."

"A couple of months after you came back to the team, before Ultron and before I told you how I felt about you."

"Mmhm?"

"I hated it every time we weren't on the same mission together."

"Really?"

"I even talked to Clint about it once."

"Stop. You did not do that."

"I did. I wasn't scared for your safety because I knew you could take care of yourself, but I was still a little on edge."

"So you called Clint?"

"Actually, we bumped into each other at the Triskelion. He knew you were on a mission and he guessed that I was concerned about you."

"And told you not to sweat it."

"Pretty much. He told me that you'd appreciate the sentiment if you knew."

"He was right. I would've been grateful that somebody else gave a damn about me besides Clint and Nick."

"It's not just us three anymore, though. You've got the Avengers."

"True. We've really come a long way, haven't we?"

"Oh, yes..

"I still wish you were here."

"Well, consider that wish granted."

The door to the bedroom opened, startling Natasha. Although the light from her bedside lamp was bright enough to illuminate her husband's form standing in the doorway.

"Steve?" The redhead dropped her cell and jumped out of bed to throw herself into his arms. "You're home!"

He caught her and rubbed her back. "Surprised to see me?"

"Obviously!" Natasha slapped his chest. "Were you teasing me the whole time on the phone?"

"I was in a taxi when you called, but no, I wasn't teasing you. I meant every word I said. I just wanted to keep you preoccupied so you wouldn't fall asleep before I got here."

"You wanted to surprise me, huh?"

"Something like that. I planned to come home, sneak into bed and you'd wake up to see me in the morning. But you called, so I had to improvise a little."

"You romantic fool, you." She nuzzled his nose with hers. "I have such a thoughtful husband."

"And don't you forget it," Steve replied, playfulness in his tone. He picked Natasha up and carried her to the bed while she breathed him in.

"You smell like hotel soap."

"Yeah, I wanted to take a shower before I got home. I was pretty sweaty."

"Good. I wouldn't want your carcass stinking up this bed."

Steve laughed and ran his thumb down her ankle to the arch of her sock-covered foot. He flipped the soft fabric away and moved to do the same thing with her other foot when he noticed the pattern. "Are those my socks?"

"Mmhm, they're warm and comfortable, but I prefer body heat." Natasha pressed against him.

"You must be referring to this body."

"My favorite body in the world." She leaned forward to kiss his jaw and he smiled, nuzzling her neck, hand on her hip.

"Do I still have those ten penalty points?"

"Take off these clothes and I'll see about getting rid of them."


End file.
